GAME · 2014 · UK
Alien: Isolation
- Developer
- Creative Assembly
- Publisher
- Feral Interactive
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 3
39 archived facts 6 topics 2 sources Last reviewed Nov 2026
39 Interesting Facts About Alien: Isolation
Interesting Facts (6)
- #001
Instead of following a predetermined path, the artificial intelligence of the Alien has been programmed to actively hunt the player by sight, sound, and smell. The Alien A.I was programmed with a complex set of behavioral designs that progressively unlock as it encounters the player to create the illusion that the Alien is learning from its encounters with the player and adjusting its hunting strategy appropriately. This includes the ability for the Alien to investigate "secondary sources" of disturbances. For instance, if it notices a locker or air lock is open, the Alien will search for who opened it.
- #002
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- #005
Contains a major spoiler — show
Towards the game's ending, when Amanda Ripley is outside of Sevastapol trying to release the Torrens, the mechanism she is using is identical to what Ellen Ripley used in Alien (1979) to start (and attempt to end) the Nostromo's self-destruct. Even the "reverse directions" (which is just a French translation of the actual process) from the movie are present.
- #006
Production Story (15)
- #007
Twentieth Century Fox provided the Creative Assembly with three terabytes of archived data related to Alien (1979), including notes on prop and set design, behind the scenes photos, videos, and the movie's original sound effect recordings, to help Creative Assembly authentically re-create the atmosphere of the movie. Among the source material provided by Twentieth Century Fox, was the movie's original musical soundtrack, to which the developers re-recorded several of the original cues with a full orchestra, including some of the musicians who worked on the first movie's soundtrack.
- #008
Though the game is set in the future, the technology depicted the game is made to look as if it were designed in the 1970s in order to match the look of Alien (1979). Only objects from the 1970s or earlier could be used as references, and in many cases, the designers limited themselves to the drawing tools used by the original designers (or digital imitations of them).
- #009
- #010
Instead of following a predetermined path, the artificial intelligence of the Alien has been programmed to actively hunt the player by sight, sound, and smell. The Alien A.I was programmed with a complex set of behavioral designs that progressively unlock as it encounters the player to create the illusion that the Alien is learning from its encounters with the player and adjusting its hunting strategy appropriately. This includes the ability for the Alien to investigate "secondary sources" of disturbances. For instance, if it notices a locker or air lock is open, the Alien will search for who opened it.
- #011
- #012
The game features a crafting system which allows the player to create weapons and tools to defend themselves. Crafting objects appear in randomised locations, forcing players to explore the level to find them on each playthrough, instead of memorising their locations. Players will also encounter computers and other devices that they can hack to access information or trigger in-game actions, using a system which is similar to video tape tracking.
- #013
- #014
Most of the characters from Alien (1979) appear in the downloadable content (DLC) for this game, which includes two bonus missions called 'Crew Expendable' and 'Last Survivor', both of which take place aboard the Nostromo. The film's original cast members came back to voice their characters, with the exception of John Hurt (Kane) and Ian Holm (Ash). Hurt was unavailable due to scheduling conflicts, so his character was removed from the game. Holm couldn't reprise his role due to serious health issues, but allowed the makers to use his likeness and recast the role with Dave B. Mitchell.
- #015
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- #019
Contains a major spoiler — show
The game's story went through several rewrites which lead to a number of characters roles being reduced to brief appearances, such as Dr. Kuhlman, or put into to audio logs scattered around for the player to find along several maps and cut scenes being scrapped all together. Among the biggest changes included a cut prologue, when Amanda would find the flight recorder of the Nostromo in the story and being the one to destroy Sevastopol with Marlow's help. Samuels and Nina Taylor were also written much differently in the original draft of the story, where the two would attempt to abandon Ripley on the station.
- #020
- #021
Contains a major spoiler — show
Although she is descending into a Xenomorph nest, Amanda Ripley never encounters an Alien Queen. According to the developers, it was planned to show one briefly, but it was decided to drop the idea, because they didn't want to give the player the false feeling that she has to be fought as a boss later. But the developers confirmed that while it is not on shown on-screen, an Alien Queen does reside in the station.
Behind the Scenes (3)
- #022
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- #024
The Alien was designed to look similar to H.R. Giger's original design for the creature from Alien (1979), including the semitransparent head with visible skull underneath. The developers altered the Alien's design to feature recurved legs as opposed to the more humanoid legs the monster had in Alien (1979), in order to provide the Alien a walk cycle that would hold up to scrutiny during longer encounters with the player.
Characters & Cast (2)
- #025
The design of the character Amanda Ripley was based on Welsh actress Kezia Burrows and British actress Elizabeth Inglis during her youth. Inglis is the late mother of Sigourney Weaver, who played Ellen Ripley in the film franchise. The first reference of Amanda Ripley in the Alien canon was a photograph of Amanda that is seen in the extended Special Edition of Aliens (1986), in which Amanda is shown as an old woman in a photo given to Ripley by Burke prior to the conference room scene. A photo of Inglis was used for that scene.
- #026
Mac Madonald played the role of Al Simpson in Aliens, the head of the colony of Hadle'ys Hope. His role was cut from the final film but his scenes were restored for the Directors special edition. In Alien: Isolation, he returns to voice Chief Engineer Porter, albeit only in the audio logs.
Easter Eggs & References (12)
- #027
While hiding from prowling Working Joes, the player may witness them stop and jog in place. This is a reference to Alien (1979), in which Ash does the same before monitoring the away team. It is believed, by some, that this action is basically a maintenance protocol to keep the Synthetics loose. Ridley Scott suggests something similar in his Director's commentary for Alien (1979).
- #028
Although there is a proper scripted scene during the 3rd mission when the Alien first makes it appearance, it's possible to see the Alien twice prior to this scene. The 1st time is at the very end of the 2nd mission when you enter the tram car. If you wait around in the tram car for a few seconds, the Alien will drop down from a vent shaft onto the tram platform. The 2nd time occurs early during the 3rd mission. After you've walked down the stairs to Tech Support, if you quickly look at the small windowed office ahead, you'll see the Alien jump down from a vent shaft and immediately run through to the next room.
- #029
In this game the computer core is referred to as "Apollo". Whereas in the original Alien film the computer was called "Mother". When Amanda enters the Apollo core the console lights up with a green flashing image which is identical to the image that flashes when Ripley accesses Mother in the original Alien film.
- #030
- #031
In Mission 14, when it's necessary to initialize the Emergency Purge Sequence at the two terminals, the screen used is the same as from the undocking sequence in Alien (1979), down to the exact numbers that appear. That this footage was recycled may be an in-joke; Ridley Scott re-used the footage for the take-off sequence of the spinner in Blade Runner (1982).
- #032
Like many installments in the Alien film franchise, the game contains nods to the works of Joseph Conrad. The character Marlow is named after a character who appeared in several of Conrad's stories. Sevastapol is referred to as "An Outpost of Progress", the title of a short story by Conrad. The story concerns an ivory trading post whose residents turn on one another when contact with the outside world is lost. Further, the AI that controls Sevastapol Station is called APOLLO, the name of Conrad's father, Apollo Korzeniowski.
- #033
The Working Joe's are probably named after the idea of an "average joe" - someone who lives their life simply and generally conforms to societal standards and norms. The working Joe's are all identical and their function s to work menial or difficult tasks that the other employees don't want to do or have time for.
- #034
- #035
Contains a major spoiler — show
Towards the game's ending, when Amanda Ripley is outside of Sevastapol trying to release the Torrens, the mechanism she is using is identical to what Ellen Ripley used in Alien (1979) to start (and attempt to end) the Nostromo's self-destruct. Even the "reverse directions" (which is just a French translation of the actual process) from the movie are present.
- #036
- #037
Contains a major spoiler — show
Like Alien (1979), the Alien kills from a vent while something watches. Axel (an NPC you encounter early in the game) is killed in the same way Brett was in Alien (1979), via impaling of the tail. Jones and Amanda are in the same position: Watching in horror as the events happen. Whether this is purely coincidental or a deliberate reference is unknown, but bears strong resemblance to the original scene.
- #038
Deeper Meaning (1)
- #039
Contains a major spoiler — show
The game's title, 'Isolation', is really felt throughout the game as you spend most of it alone, and by the end of the game you are the sole survivor of Sevastopol station. It is also reinforced in other areas of the game like the menu screen where you see the space station (where most of the whole game takes place) as a tiny image on screen next to the massive gas giant.